David Corenswet 'Always Felt Skinny' Before Bulking Up For Superman, But He Went Way Beyond The Weight Gain He Thought Would Me Him 'Happy'

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The superhero genre is going through a transitional period, especially where DC is concerned. The old DCEU (which is streaming with a Max subscription) ended with Aquaman 2, and fans are looking to the upcoming DC movies to see what James Gunn has up his sleeve for the new DCU. It'll all begin with Superman, the first project in the slate of projects titled Gods and Monsters. Actor David Corenswet "always felt skinny" before bulking up for Superman, but he went way beyond the weight gain he thought would me him "happy."

What we known about Superman is limited, but fans are eager to see what Corenswet will do in the title role. The actor bulked up to 238 pounds to play the Man of Steel, which included a ton of workouts and a specific diet. While appearing on the Manly Things podcast, he got honest about his reaction to gaining muscle as Clark Kent. In his words:

I always felt skinny, and I always felt like I couldn’t fill out a T-shirt, and I always felt like I didn’t quite have the physical presence that I wanted to have.

Well, deciding to play a comic book character is one way to change that. Plenty of actors have had physical transformations in order to look like a superhero. Brie Larson got ripped for Captain Marvel, and has been honest about how it's helped her feel powerful. And it sounds like Corenswet's really felt the difference, especially given his previous feelings about his physique.

Corenswet went on a specific diet for the role, and put on a ton of weight to fill out Superman's costume. And from set photos and limited promotional images, he looks great. Later in that same interview, the Twisters actor spoke about how he felt after putting on weight, saying:

Getting to bulk up for Superman, I was looking for an excuse to really throw on some weight. I thought 210 [pounds] was going to make me happy and then I got up to 238. That was the peak.

It should be interesting to see how this transformation factors into David Corenswet's performance leading the Superman cast. He's got big shoes to fill given the many iconic actors that have portrayed the character before. But James Gunn knows his way around a comic book movie, so he's in very good hands.

All eyes are on what will go down with Superman, which will feature a number of other DC heroes alongside Corenswet's title character. It should be fascinating to see how they interact, and how the movie's action is influenced by their different skill sets.

Superman will hit theaters on July 11th, 2025. In the meantime, check the 2025 movie release dates to plan your next trip to the movies.